We are deifnately not in "Canada" anymore

So the "Canada" I grew up in and the "Canada" Mike grew up in are VERY different. In this post, I am talking about "my Canada"--you know, the one 1 & 1/2 hours north of Seattle.

It started raining VERY (and I mean VERY) lightly while I was picking the girls up from school today and here are some of the funny reactions I saw:

"Wow, it's actually raining"

"Quick get under the shelter"

"Bring the scarecrows in NOW!!"

And Tyson pointed at the rain drops like he had never witnessed this thing called "rain!"

Coming from a place that really rains just about every Halloween, I couldn't help but chuckle a little. Although I really do love the rain, from a practical stand point it's kind of nice that we don't get a lot of it:)

2004--A rainy afternoon with nothing to do!

I remember calling Mike at work because it was raining and I didn't know what to do with the kids. He said "let them play out in the rain"--of course they loved it (why didn't I think about that?!)

He still has a few things to learn:

You are a BOY not a GIRL

The underwear goes on your bum NOT your head (oh and the pee goes in the potty NOT on the carpet)

True Confessions

I took the girls to see High School Musical 3 this morning. Here are a few "confessions" I have about the experience:

• I was seriously more excited than my kids to see HSM3


• I teared up at the end of the movie


• I wish I could dance like the kids in HSM


• I thought Zac Effron was HOT in it!


• I came home and looked up music videos from the movie on youtube

2 For 2

Kya got recognized as "Student of the Quarter" today at school. Congratulations Kya!! Jordan got the same award her first "quarter" in Kindergarten too, so now all the pressure is on Tyson:) I am so proud of my good little girl.

Principal Lee giving Kya her award

Kya and Frankie--who also got an award

(this is the butt kiss boy, so I had to put his picture in)Kya with her award

Congratulations!!!

It's Coming

Do you guys know Halloween is less than 10 days away??? I can't believe how quickly it has crept up this year. So here's my dilema: I know what the kids are going to be, but NOT Mike and I...that is the tough part. I really hate to spend money on our (meaning me and Mike) cosutmes. I have no problem forking out $15-20 for the kids but when it's for us, it just doesn't seem worth it. So any suggestions? I know, if you have an amazing idea you'll keep it for yourself but I can hope.

2004 (eaiest, quickest, cheapest costume EVER)

2006 (BYU fans! My face was completely BLUE, so I am glad there are no pictures of ME that night)

2007 (I was "pregnant" and Mike was my doctor. There isn't a good pic of my belly, but it was pretty realistic--for a 12 month pregnant lady)

My Baby Boy is THREE!!

I really can't believe how fast Tyson is growing up! It seems like he's been a part of our family forever, yet it seems like just yesterday that he was my little baby:(

A couple days old--one of my favorite pictures!! 7 Months One Year
Two Years Three Years and growing up TOO fast!

A Party for a 3-year-old??

Yes, we had a birthday party for Tyson today! We had 10 little ones--and their mom's (did you think I was crazy?). It actually went pretty smoothly, although I didn't get a chance to take many pictures--gee, I wonder why? Tyson was so sweet--very excited to blow out candles, open presents and play with his friends.

Tyson and his little friend Gavin got into the cake before I got a picture. I didn't mind, since it is "typical" Tyson behavior:)

Some of the kids squished at the table eating cake--we need to get a bigger table (and more chairs)!
Tyson was SO looking forward to blowing out the candles--he did a fabulous job!
Tyson's Goody Bag
Tyson with one of his new motorcycles!

(Thanks for all the presents guys)
I love this video because the girls were completely scared of popping balloons at this age--but our little boy LOVES it!

The Notebook

I watched this movie a long time ago and loved it. I just watched it again last night and cried like a baby. If you haven't seen it, RENT IT (there are 2 scenes that are a bit risque--just to warn you). One of my all time favorite movies!!

If you know me at all...

...you know I can't resist a good tag. I think I've done this one before, but what the heck!

What I was doing 10 years ago:
1. Graduated from Ricks --without getting married I might add (quite the accomplishment).
2. Helped my sis get ready for her wedding--and lost my sister to her new hubby.
3. Was working as a dental receptionist for Dr. Ulinder.
4. Took a semester off college--and was really lonely because all my friends were away at school. 5. Was in a stupid "long distance" relationship with quite the winner.

5 Things on my to-do list:
1. Laundry--including the towels in my car from the beach last week.
2. Dishes.
3. Go to the beach--I know my life is SO hard.
4. Take out the garbage--see my life really IS hard.
5. Clean out the popcorn popper--it was filled with butter this morning??

5 of my favorite snacks:
1. Cheetos--in case you were wondering why my kids always have them.
2. Chicken in a Bisquit crackers (Mykalee remember when we stole those??).
3. Reece peanut butter cups (you can get 10 for 88 cents at Walmart--it takes everything in me to pass those up).
4. Chewy chocolate chip cookies--the ones from SaveMart are pretty good when my Mom's aren't available.
5. Grapes--crunchy ones.
Okay, not the healthiest snacks

5 jobs I've had:
1. BYU Law School Career Services Secretary.
2. Orthodontist assistant/Dental Receptionist.
3. Movie theater concession girl.
4. Raspberry picker--I know I'm a hick.
5. Slave (2001-present).

5 things I would do with a million dollars:
1. Buy a new house--with more bedrooms, a big grassy backyard, a large living room, a family room, my very own bathroom, a garage we can park in...
2. Buy a new car--and maybe upgrade Mike's beautiful Camry.
3. Buy a whole new wardrobe.
4. Buy a bedroom set.
5. Get a new kitchen table.
6. Take a trip to Hawaii, Europe, Finland, Hong Kong...
7. Oh sorry I guess I was only supposed to do 5--there are SO many possibilities!!

5 things that made me laugh this week:
1. Tyson got a present in the mail for his birthday and the girls wanted to open it. He picked up the big box and said "No, Tyson's present" and then hid it under the table.
2. Mike called for me to help him and I came downstairs to find his entire body under the living room carpet. He was attempting to hide our internet wire going from the living room into the kitchen.
3. The kids were playing with a ball in the living room and as it rolled to Miley (our kitty), she jumped so high and arched her back at the same time--we love scaring the cat.
4. Listening to Kya sing Hannah Montana--I don't think she got more than 2 words right (she gets that from her dad).
5. Watching the kids use seaweed as a jump rope at the beach.

Every post must have a picture

Canadian Thanksgiving

I have lived in the USA for over 10 years, yet I am not sold on the whole Thanksgiving in November thing. Today is Thanksgiving in Canada--much further away from Christmas:) So while my sisters, parents, neices and nephews feasted on Mom's turkey dinner...I was a little sad. Times like this remind me of the home I left behind and the dear memories I have of life before I really grew up. I know, kinda sappy, but every once in a while it has to happen. We did have a fun day though.

I took the kids to Dennis the Menace park. They had more fun playing in the leaves than any of the playground equipment.

We also made some Halloween cookies. Actually, I think Tyson just ate the frosting.

One Week Down...

...one more to go! The girls have been off on Fall Break this past week. We have been having fun. I really do love having them home (especially when they aren't fighting or complaing or messing up the house). We have been trying to stay busy:

At the beach,
at the Children's Museum in San Jose,

(we didn't get a picture of the 4 adults and 11kids at the Cheesecake Factory!!!)


and at Swank Farms!

Nerdy Nita?

Definition of Nerd: An unstylish or socially inept person; one slavishly devoted to intellectual pursuits.

Never in my life have I thought of myself as a "nerd," but lately I'm not quite so sure. Here's why:

• I stay up late talking politics


• I must have a book to read at all times


• I shop for clothes at Target


• I am 31 and watch the new 90210


• I spend a large portion of the day on the computer


• My idea of a fun Friday night is a bowl of popcorn, my jammies and the political debates:)

So, not quite the definition of "nerd," but pretty darn close.

Oh, and did I mention I take pictures of myself...

10 Years Ago

Ten years ago TODAY was the very first wedding in my family. I honestly believe it changed all of us. Thanks for "going first" Tina! Happy Anniversary:)

Who needs the zoo...

...when you live in Marina/Monterey? Seriously here's some of our "animal" experiences since we've lived in this area:

One of the many lizards that live in our yard

1) Skunks--Just about once a week we see AND smell a dead skunk somewhere on our daily route. I have seen a skunk running past our back fence and have heard stories of skunks being brave enough to run into someones house (try getting a skunk out of your house without it spraying anything-they managed to). I have also had a couple of friends with dogs that have been sprayed by skunks--yuck.

2) Racoons--Gosh, there are SO many racoons around here!! I have friends that have trapped them in their garbage cans, I have just about hit a couple with my car and check out my friend Sarah's blog to read about their racoon stakeout: http://coastymorgans.blogspot.com/2008/09/saturday-night-fun.html

8) Bunnies--I always see bunnies when I go running. They are on all the walking trails near our house. I remember last year on Easter I went for a run and saw SO many bunnies. I thought that was very appropriate.

This is larger than most of the bunnies I see around, but Mom and Dad got a picture of this when they were visiting--it was just behind our back fence

3) Turkeys--I love seeing the wild turkeys. We often see wild turkeys crossing the road on the way to church. I have heard the turkeys are pretty loud and annoying if you live closer to where they like to hang out.

4) Mountain Lions--This is actually quite the scary one. Would you like to be face to face with a mountain lion?? When Mike worked at DLI there were always memos to warn that there had been mountain lion sightings. One day the girls came home from school with a note that said they had indoor recess because a mountain lion had been spotted close to the school--scary huh?


5) Deer--We see deer all the time around here. My favorite was when we went to watch Mike's soccer game one evening. While one team was trying to score on one side of the field, a whole bunch of deer were just hanging out on the other side of the feild--right there on the same field they were playing. Jordan got a real kick out of it (she was only about 3 at the time).


6) Squirrels--We have dozens of squirrels that live just outside our backyard. They have come in our house on countless occasions, gobbled up our tomato plants, eaten all our sunflower seeds, and jumped on our trampoline.

One of our squirrels on the trampoline

7) Coyotes--This is a new one for me. The other day I was driving to Target and just a block from our house in the middle on the day, I saw a coyote run across the street. A few days later I took Tyson for a walk and I saw a sign that said "Coyote Warning." Yah, I don't know if I want to go walking around there anymore.

We also have our share of ants, spiders, beatles and lizards. A few days ago, I brought the Halloween stuff in from the garage and guess what crawled out of our orange tub--a spider. I thought it was a black widow so I captured it in a jar (but it wasn't). Tyson has slept with it beside his bed for the past couple nights (little does he know, Mommy didn't poke any holes in the lid, so the spider is now dead--I hate spiders).

Here's Tyson with his "spider jar"--so interesting!

Our Very Own "After School Program"

A couple friends and I sometimes let our kids stay after school to play. It gives us a chance to chat and gives our kids a chance to get crazy dirty. Today was pj day and I finally remembered my camera, so we got some cute pictures.

Alex, Kya, Adriann

(My favorite pic--what cute girls we have)

All the kids at their favorite "posing" spot

(I can't believe we got them all to look at the camera) Brady, Tyson, Kenyon

(This is how sweet they are when they aren't hitting each other or throwing sand)

Happy Fall Y'All

Fall is here...

We are excited...

We are ready...